A God I Am Not: Difference between revisions

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The [[Opposite Tropes]] of [[A God Am I]].

This is a character who is godlike, yet dislikes the comparison and firmly identifies themself as a mortal. They may be a godlike [[Flying Brick]] a la [[Superman (Franchise)|Superman]], a [[Reality Warper]] like [[Watchmen (Comic Book)|Doctor Manhattan]], a [[Physical God]] like [[The Lord of the Rings (Literature)|Tom Bombadil]], or someone who [[You Kill It You Bought It|somehow]] got the powers and duties of an actual god. The crux of their rationale is usually that they are still mortal, human, and terrestrial in enough ways that they don't want to make the claim. Maybe they still think in mortal terms about time and morality, and aren't a [[Time Abyss]] or [[Above Good and Evil]]. Maybe they don't want the responsibility all that power entails. Then again, it may just be the thought of being [[Stop Worshipping Me|actively worshipped]] that's squicky to them.

This is a character who is godlike, yet dislikes the comparison and firmly identifies themself as a mortal. They may be a godlike [[Flying Brick]] a la [[Superman (Franchise)|Superman]], a [[Reality Warper]] like [[Watchmen (Comic Book)|Doctor Manhattan]], a [[Physical God]] like [[The Lord of the Rings (Literature)|Tom Bombadil]], or someone who [[You Kill It, You Bought It|somehow]] got the powers and duties of an actual god. The crux of their rationale is usually that they are still mortal, human, and terrestrial in enough ways that they don't want to make the claim. Maybe they still think in mortal terms about time and morality, and aren't a [[Time Abyss]] or [[Above Good and Evil]]. Maybe they don't want the responsibility all that power entails. Then again, it may just be the thought of being [[Stop Worshipping Me!|actively worshipped]] that's squicky to them.

Where this gets interesting is when a character who fits all the criteria for a god (and may even be one in the setting's cosmology) ''still'' chooses not to think of themselves that way because it would drive them mad. With all that power [[Samaritan Syndrome]] could make them take responsibility for EVERY bad thing that happens. On the other end, power corrupts, and the [[Pride]] in claiming godhood might make them evil. Then again, they could develop a [[Blue and Orange Morality]] from the sheer alien experience of it and grow divorced from their mortal roots, which they adamantly oppose.

Generally, this character is someone who can be trusted not to let [[The Omnipotent|omnipotence]] go to their head, and may even actively seek to get [[De Power|Depowered]] or pass on the mantle because it's too much of a hassle. Usually this character was at one point a mortal who got [[Super Empowering|Super Empowered]] into the job, though an actual god may take this position out of [[Defector From Decadence|disdain for their peer's]] [[Jerkass God]] behavior.

Generally, this character is someone who can be trusted not to let [[The Omnipotent|omnipotence]] go to their head, and may even actively seek to get [[De-Power|Depowered]] or pass on the mantle because it's too much of a hassle. Usually this character was at one point a mortal who got [[Super Empowering|Super Empowered]] into the job, though an actual god may take this position out of [[Defector From Decadence|disdain for their peer's]] [[Jerkass God]] behavior.

A heckuva lot of [[Mary Sue]] characters fit this bill. See also [[Humble Hero]]. See also [[Unwanted False Faith]], when a regular Joe becomes the target of religious adoration and is firmly opposed to it.

Compare [[Stop Worshipping Me]], which is specifically about anyone who discourage being worshipped for any of a number of reasons.

Compare [[Stop Worshipping Me!]], which is specifically about anyone who discourage being worshipped for any of a number of reasons.

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== [[Literature]] ==

* Just because [[Matthew Swift]] came back [[First Episode Resurrection|from the dead]] supercharged and full of Electric Blue Angels does not mean he's anything like God. [[Remember When You Blew Up a Sun|Please stop asking.]]

* Just because [[Matthew Swift]] came back [[First-Episode Resurrection|from the dead]] supercharged and full of Electric Blue Angels does not mean he's anything like God. [[Remember When You Blew Up a Sun?|Please stop asking.]]

* The Eschaton, from [[Charles Stross]]'s novels ''Singularity Sky'' and ''Iron Sunrise''.

* Lightsong from ''[[Warbreaker]]'' is a Returned, a person who died and got raised from the dead by some unknown force, the Returned are worshiped as gods by people in the country of Hallandren, where the story takes place, but Lightsong doesn't see things that way.

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[[Category:Tropes of the Divine]]

[[Category:A God I Am Not]]

[[Category:Trope]]